Study tips/sucess stories from College/University students?

Question

Hello, This question directed to any college/university student who consider themselves successful, (i.e. do well in school, have a good GPA, majored in astrophysics lol etc..) What do you believe makes a student sucessful? Do you have any study tips/or techniques that have been helpful to you in the past? How many hours a week do/did you spend studying to achieve good grades? What do you do to prepare for tests, how do you stay motivated? How do you study for long periods of time without going insane? Please share your stories with me, I am looking to improve my study skills. I don't want any links to sites with tips on how to study, I would like REAL tips from real people. I would also like to hear any personal advice you have about college, i.e. what was your experience like, did you find it an overwhelming or enlightening experience or both etc... Thanks

Answer 1

Interesting question - and important!

I am a good student with a fairly high GPA. I'm also a student who's struggled academically and emotionally throughout my university experience. So, I'll start out with a brief explanation of my experiences these past 2 1/3 years, and then I'll give you what I think of as some "tips".

Basically, when I started college, I had no idea what to expect. I started out with a keen interest in Psychology, took a few courses, loved some, and hated others. I really wanted to become a psychologist (with a specific interest in psychoanalysis). But then I realized that practically no one respected Freud, and I felt a little alienated by the emphasis on scientific research. Later I took a few English courses and discovered a profound love of literature, and I began thinking that perhaps I should study to become a professor. In the last little while, I've taken a few Philosophy courses that are again making me rethink my path.

The reason I share the stages of mind-changes I went through is because I believe that is part of the process: I would encourage you to keep an open mind. Take different courses. Take your electives early. You never know what new interests you might discover. I never, ever thought I'd entertain the idea of majoring in Philosophy (or even double-majoring), but, lo and behold, now I am. I might not, after all. But the point is, I'm thinking about it.

The most important thing is that you study something you truly love. One of my favorite professors started out as a science major and then eventually switched to philosophy. He told me that he wasn't particularly hung up on what "career" he'd eventually have, so much as, he simply loved reading philosophy. And that really stick with me. Don't study something because you think you should. Study what you WANT to study.

I also encourage you to get involved on campus. I didn't the first few years, and it was very alienating. If your campus has a variety of clubs, organizations etc., I really think you should aim to join something. Your choice can be academically related, or not. But socializing with other interesting people who share some of the same interests you do will definitely save you from going insane.

If your university offers work-out facilities, a pool, yoga programs--anything like that--I'd say you should take advantage. Keeping yourself active (especially in the winter) will really keep your mind sharp, body looking good, and ease a lot of your stress.

Also, I don't know what you're studying, but get friendly with students in your classes: studying in small groups will really help you A) get your act together early (ie., before the exam, essay, presentation, etc.), B) get feedback and make the study experience less lonely and boring, and C) studies show that students who study with others score higher on exams (you'll also retain the information longer). A good technique is to get 2-3 people together, have everyone go over the material, and prepare practice exams that you'll exchange and complete a few days prior to your exam. This way, you'll figure out what your weaknesses are early.

Something else I'd urge you to think about is when your best "study times" are. If you are the kind of person who is most alert the first few hours of your day, then perhaps you should wake up an hour or two earlier and study in the mornings with a cup of coffee. If the middle of the day is best, then make sure your schedule allows you to study during that time. How "much" you study really depends on the type of courses you take, and your own habits and pace. But typically they recommend studying 2 hours for every hour you're in class (a day).

If your university offers free personal counseling, GO. Take advantage of the fact that you'll be able to vent to an objective person in a safe, confidential atmosphere. I often feel depressed (for different reasons), and having someone to talk to really helps.

A few extra tips:

1) Start assignments early. (Especially papers). And if your discipline requires you to write papers, revise, revise, revise. Good writing comes from rewriting.

2) Be prepared as often as you can, for every class. This means keeping up with your reading. If you've read and thought about the material, you have leverage to ask questions and share your ideas in class which is something professors (and other students) love. A good trick I've discovered is to summarize everything I read. For example, I need to read a lot of articles and, eventually, I forget which was which. So, I read them, then I briefly summarize them afterwards (just a paragraph, or so).

3. Make friends with your professors. This is very important. Go to their office hours. If they get to know you a little, they'll be able to write you recommendation letters eventually for grad school. Apart from that, if you get along with your professor, you'll have him or her as an ally in your course and you'll feel less like another "number" in it. If you struggle at any point, your profs are more likely to be sympathetic if they know something about the type of student you are.

4. Don't get too emotionally involved with your work. One of the big mistakes I made was to take my work waaaaaaay too seriously. I think this is because I started to let the academic work I produced define me. And that should not be the case. I agonized over every paper, and while on the one hand this helped me, on the other hand it caused me way more stress than what I needed to feel. I started to put off my papers to the last minute out of fear that it wouldn't be the "best" and I ended up shortchanging my grade.

5. Have fun. University is about researching and exchanging ideas. If you're open to it, you'll have the kind of conversations with people that might change your life. DON'T get down on yourself if ever you feel you don't say something intelligent enough. Say what's on your mind, listen to other people's ideas, challenge and learn from them. DON'T treat your experience as competition. I also did that at one point and the consequence was that I didn't enjoy learning anymore because my focus shifted from what was truly important.

6. Have hobbies. Go out. Have a few beers.

Cheers!

Answer 2

My successful studying tips:

1. Study in a group and discuss the material. I find the more I discuss content with others (and teach others) the more I understand myself. Also, it makes learning a social activity (and we all know how much students need to get a social life sometimes).

2. Get plenty of rest. It helps when the crunch comes.

3. Talk to the professor. She/He may be able to provide insights beyond the lecture or the textbook.

4. Find something you are interested in -- it is easier to study something that excites you and/or helps you reach a desired future.

5. If in doubt, pick "C".

I enjoyed university a lot -- especially when I got into the higher levels. It wasn't easy when I was surfing around different courses to begin with (Economics and I didn't see eye-to-eye) but once I found an affinity area, I was off to the races. So far, I have two bachelor degrees, a master's degree and I'm planning to return for another master's degree sometime soon.

Answer 3

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